After reading a review of Matched, a dystopian romance by Ally Condie, in the Wall Street Journal, I decided to move it to the top of my reading list. The reviewer, Meghan Cox Gurdon, compares the book, the first in a proposed trilogy, to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, saying, "Ms. Meyer, captures the temptation, the mix of longing and self-discipline, felt by passion-swept young people trying to make the right choices for the right reasons. Ally Condie catches the same heart-tugging elements that Ms. Meyer does."
Matched is set in a tranquil, rational futuristic world where choice has been virtually eliminated. Seventeen-year-old Cassia, who is looking forward to her matching ceremony where she will be introduced to her future husband, is also dreading her grandfather's upcoming Final Banquet, where he is scheduled to die. When Cassia is matched with her childhood friend, Xander, she is ecstatic, until she gets home and looks at her courtship microcard and instead sees the face of Ky Markham, an orphan from the Outer Provinces, who was adopted by a neighboring family. He is considered an aberration and is forbidden from matching. She decides to confide in her grandfather, who rather than comforting her by saying that it was just a computer glitch, encourages her to question the Society's dictates. He gives her a forbidden poem by Dylan Thomas, telling her "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage against the dying of the light."
When Cassia joins a hiking group for leisure time activity, she finds herself paired with Ky, who introduces her to the lost art of cursive writing (keyboarding is the only writing allowed) and surreptitiously begins to share the secrets of his past. The better she gets to know Ky, the more she wishes he were her Match. Although Xander is her best friend from childhood, Ky's creative rebellious personality speaks to her passionate nature that she has been sublimating for years with lockstep obedience to the Society's rules. As the book draws to a close, Cassia's fateful decision sets up the sequel in which she will continue the rebel against societal dictates.
In the Wall Street Journal review Ms. Gruden says, "That Matched works so well is due partly to the author's even, measured prose. The cool clarity of Cassia's voice, eerily suits the watchful, unfree Society she inhabits." School Library Journal compares Matched to Lowis Lowry's The Giver, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and George Orwell's 1984. Comparisons to these esteemed novels, should signal readers that Matched is a step above the average teen romance. I would highly recommend this book for middle level and high school readers.
Showing posts with label young adult novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult novels. Show all posts
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Jekel Loves Hyde
I just got back from the Mountains and Plains Trade Show in Denver and am really inspired to start reading and sharing new young adult book titles. With over eighty new books to read, I can't decide whether to start with sequels to popular series, new titles by authors I love, or new authors whose debut novels caught my interest. I can't believe I haven't blogged for a month, but I was out of town at the Telluride Film Festival and then the CU vs Cal game in Berkeley. Although I was still reading, working on my blog did not make it to the top of my To Do List. However, I'm back and excited about Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey, who wrote last year's terrific Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Darkside.
Jekel Loves Hyde updates Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which explores the duality of human nature. Good girl Jill Jekel is attending the funeral for her murdered father, and is shocked to see bad-boy Tristen Hyde in attendance. When he approaches her with words of comfort, she begins to wonder if there is more to him than meets the eye. Then their chemistry teacher suggests that the two should enter a chemistry contest which awards the winner with an impressive scholarship. Tristen, who believes that he is descended from the original Mr. Hyde, is desperately looking to find a way to destroy his evil side that he thinks is beginning to control him. Suspecting that Jill's father had been investigating the original Dr. Jekyll's infamous formula, Tristen talks Jill into breaking into her father's study, where she finds a mysterious old box filled with Dr. Jekyll's notes. Jill and Tristen team up to recreate experiments based on those in the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to help Tristen fight his violent urges. Then Jill accidentally tastes the new formula, which unleashes her dark side.
The alternating chapters told from both teens' perspectives allow the reader insight into the evolution of their growing romance, as well as the dual natures of their personalities. Paired with the original, this would be a wonderful Classical Connection for students to compare and contrast.
Jekel Loves Hyde updates Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which explores the duality of human nature. Good girl Jill Jekel is attending the funeral for her murdered father, and is shocked to see bad-boy Tristen Hyde in attendance. When he approaches her with words of comfort, she begins to wonder if there is more to him than meets the eye. Then their chemistry teacher suggests that the two should enter a chemistry contest which awards the winner with an impressive scholarship. Tristen, who believes that he is descended from the original Mr. Hyde, is desperately looking to find a way to destroy his evil side that he thinks is beginning to control him. Suspecting that Jill's father had been investigating the original Dr. Jekyll's infamous formula, Tristen talks Jill into breaking into her father's study, where she finds a mysterious old box filled with Dr. Jekyll's notes. Jill and Tristen team up to recreate experiments based on those in the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to help Tristen fight his violent urges. Then Jill accidentally tastes the new formula, which unleashes her dark side.
The alternating chapters told from both teens' perspectives allow the reader insight into the evolution of their growing romance, as well as the dual natures of their personalities. Paired with the original, this would be a wonderful Classical Connection for students to compare and contrast.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Somebody Everybody Listens To
Influenced by my family, I seem to be listening to more and more country music lately, so I was intrigued by Suzanne Supplee's new book called Somebody Everybody Listens To. The main character, Retta Lee Jones, heads to Nashville after high school graduation to pursue her dreams of becoming a country music star. Borrowing her great aunt’s car, she ends up living in it as one catastrophe after another occurs.
First, she runs into a brick wall and has to have her car towed and repaired. However, Ricky,the tow truck driver takes pity on her, and after listening to her sing Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man," offers her a job so she can work off what she owes. He becomes one of her biggest allies as she navigates the Nashville music scene.
After losing all her money in a mugging on Music Row, she ends up living in her car and taking spit baths in public restrooms. She takes a second job singing in the bar at a run down hotel in Franklin. There she meets the bartender, Chat Snyder, a former country singer who at first tries to intimidate her, but then advises her to stop singing covers and sing her own music.
Even more difficult than living in her car and dealing with rejection from people in the music business are the pulls from home where her parents’ marriage is dissolving. As an only child, she struggles not to side with either parent in their squabbles. When Ricky gives her two tickets to the Mockingbird (which is based on Nashville's legendary Bluebird Café) for open mike night, she sings an original song about her family problems. She touches the hearts of the people in the audience when she sings "I'm not ready to decide which one to choose in your it's over ride."
Retta is inspired, as was I, by the hard knock lives of successful country singers, whose biographies are included at the beginning of each chapter. It is amazing how many country western singers dealt with poverty and tragedy before they made it big. For instance, Shania Twain lost both parents when she was twenty-two and became the guardian of her three siblings. Retta perseveres in looking for that first break to ignite her career and is ultimately rewarded. This book will appeal to fans of country music, as well as any reader who enjoys a good story about a plucky heroine following her dreams.
First, she runs into a brick wall and has to have her car towed and repaired. However, Ricky,the tow truck driver takes pity on her, and after listening to her sing Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man," offers her a job so she can work off what she owes. He becomes one of her biggest allies as she navigates the Nashville music scene.
After losing all her money in a mugging on Music Row, she ends up living in her car and taking spit baths in public restrooms. She takes a second job singing in the bar at a run down hotel in Franklin. There she meets the bartender, Chat Snyder, a former country singer who at first tries to intimidate her, but then advises her to stop singing covers and sing her own music.
Even more difficult than living in her car and dealing with rejection from people in the music business are the pulls from home where her parents’ marriage is dissolving. As an only child, she struggles not to side with either parent in their squabbles. When Ricky gives her two tickets to the Mockingbird (which is based on Nashville's legendary Bluebird Café) for open mike night, she sings an original song about her family problems. She touches the hearts of the people in the audience when she sings "I'm not ready to decide which one to choose in your it's over ride."
Retta is inspired, as was I, by the hard knock lives of successful country singers, whose biographies are included at the beginning of each chapter. It is amazing how many country western singers dealt with poverty and tragedy before they made it big. For instance, Shania Twain lost both parents when she was twenty-two and became the guardian of her three siblings. Retta perseveres in looking for that first break to ignite her career and is ultimately rewarded. This book will appeal to fans of country music, as well as any reader who enjoys a good story about a plucky heroine following her dreams.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Epitaph Road
Band on the Bricks this week featured Paper Bird, an indie folk band with three amazing female vocalists, including Esme and Genny Patterson who were in my class at Southern Hills in sixth grade. Their angelic vocal harmonies are supported by instumentalists playing guitar, banjo, upright bass, trumpet and trombone. Playing to their hometown crowd on the Boulder mall, the girls charmed the audience with their powerful voices and upbeat blue grass sounds.
Speaking of strong females, I just finished Epitaph Road by David Patneaude. This post-apocalyptic thriller takes place in 2097 after an airborne virus has wiped out 97% of the male population. Woman now rule the world and have eradicated poverty, crime, and war, but the remaining men, whose numbers are being limited to 5% of the population, are not happy campers. Fourteen-year-old Kellen Dent is one of the rare males, whose neglectful mother is involved with the ruling Population Apportionment Council. The council is busy trying to thwart an uprising of men, including Kellen's father, who live independent of female rule. When Kellen overhears his mother talking about an intentional resurgence of the virus, he begins to worry about his father's safety, and he and his friends Sunday and Tia decide to take it upon themselves to warn him. In the process they discover a secret about the virus which rocks their world.
Each chapter opens with an epitaph for a variety of males who were killed by the plague, poignantly depicting how some women who are left behind mourn their lover's death, others, whose men were abusive, rejoice in it. This is an intriguing exploration of gender relations, which depicts the dangers of extremism. The ending is satisfying, but does leave an opening for a sequel if the author is so inclined.
Speaking of strong females, I just finished Epitaph Road by David Patneaude. This post-apocalyptic thriller takes place in 2097 after an airborne virus has wiped out 97% of the male population. Woman now rule the world and have eradicated poverty, crime, and war, but the remaining men, whose numbers are being limited to 5% of the population, are not happy campers. Fourteen-year-old Kellen Dent is one of the rare males, whose neglectful mother is involved with the ruling Population Apportionment Council. The council is busy trying to thwart an uprising of men, including Kellen's father, who live independent of female rule. When Kellen overhears his mother talking about an intentional resurgence of the virus, he begins to worry about his father's safety, and he and his friends Sunday and Tia decide to take it upon themselves to warn him. In the process they discover a secret about the virus which rocks their world.
Each chapter opens with an epitaph for a variety of males who were killed by the plague, poignantly depicting how some women who are left behind mourn their lover's death, others, whose men were abusive, rejoice in it. This is an intriguing exploration of gender relations, which depicts the dangers of extremism. The ending is satisfying, but does leave an opening for a sequel if the author is so inclined.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Airhead Series
I really enjoyed sharing middle level book ideas at the Barnes and Noble summer reading kick off. Many of the books I suggested were the latest or first books in series, so that readers would have additional book ideas if they liked a book that was introduced. Yesterday, I finished the final book in Meg Cabot's Airhead series entitled Runaway. Although I loved the first book in the series, I did not think Being Nikki and Runaway were nearly as strong.
If you are not familiar with this series, Airhead introduces a video game playing feminist, Emerson Watson, whose brain is transplanted into the body of a super model. Em and her best friend Christopher deal with their outcast status at school by immersing themselves in online video games. When Em's mom makes her accompany her sister to a star studded opening at a Stark Megastore, Em suffers a terrible accident and wakes up in the hospital one month later with her brain transplanted into the body of teen supermodel Nikki Howard. She's dying to tell Christopher who she really is, but to protect her parents from a law suit, Em has to keep her identiy a secret and learn to live in her hot new body. Keeping up with Nikki's modeling schedule and attending school is almost more than Em can handle, and she begins to realize that Nikki was more than just an airhead. Geeky Em's adjustment to her super model body creates an opportunity for hilarious "fish out of water" antics.
In the sequel, Being Nikki, Em aka Nikki, is now the "Face of Stark Enterprises." Unfortunately, Christopher is determined to destroy Stark to avenge what he believes is her death. Then Nikki's brother shows up, demanding that Em help him find their missing mom. At the cliffhanger ending, Christopher discovers Nikki's true identity, and they find out some shocking news that leaves readers clamoring for the final book in the series.
The final book, Runaway, takes up where the second abruptly ends and Nikki/Em is being held captive by Brandon Stark, the son of the Stark Enterprise owner. She learns that Christopher is right about the nefarious plans of Stark Enterprises, and she enlists his help to engineer her escape and expose them to the world.
Without the endearing awkwardness of the girl geek turned supermodel that permeates the first book, the next two enstallments are not as engaging. Nikki/Em seems annoying at times and idiotic at others. However, the reader loyalty that the first book creates makes the next two "must reads" for fans.
If you are not familiar with this series, Airhead introduces a video game playing feminist, Emerson Watson, whose brain is transplanted into the body of a super model. Em and her best friend Christopher deal with their outcast status at school by immersing themselves in online video games. When Em's mom makes her accompany her sister to a star studded opening at a Stark Megastore, Em suffers a terrible accident and wakes up in the hospital one month later with her brain transplanted into the body of teen supermodel Nikki Howard. She's dying to tell Christopher who she really is, but to protect her parents from a law suit, Em has to keep her identiy a secret and learn to live in her hot new body. Keeping up with Nikki's modeling schedule and attending school is almost more than Em can handle, and she begins to realize that Nikki was more than just an airhead. Geeky Em's adjustment to her super model body creates an opportunity for hilarious "fish out of water" antics.
In the sequel, Being Nikki, Em aka Nikki, is now the "Face of Stark Enterprises." Unfortunately, Christopher is determined to destroy Stark to avenge what he believes is her death. Then Nikki's brother shows up, demanding that Em help him find their missing mom. At the cliffhanger ending, Christopher discovers Nikki's true identity, and they find out some shocking news that leaves readers clamoring for the final book in the series.
The final book, Runaway, takes up where the second abruptly ends and Nikki/Em is being held captive by Brandon Stark, the son of the Stark Enterprise owner. She learns that Christopher is right about the nefarious plans of Stark Enterprises, and she enlists his help to engineer her escape and expose them to the world.
Without the endearing awkwardness of the girl geek turned supermodel that permeates the first book, the next two enstallments are not as engaging. Nikki/Em seems annoying at times and idiotic at others. However, the reader loyalty that the first book creates makes the next two "must reads" for fans.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Finnikin of the Rock
After a attending a delightful Memorial Day party yesterday, followed by a nap, I picked up Melina Marchetta's riveting new fantasy, Finnikin of the Rock. Marchetta is the Printz award winning author of last year's Jellicoe Road. Five hours later I turned the last page of a very compelling and satisfying read.
The story begins ten years after assassins attack the kingdom of Lumatere and murder the royal family. A curse now creates a magical barrier around the kingdom to prevent those who fled from ever returning. Finnikin, exiled son of a former royal guard, is serving as an apprentice to Sir Topher, the murdered king’s First Man. While wandering in neighboring kingdoms and aiding refugees, they receive a message that leads them to Evanjalin, a novice who says Finnikin has been chosen to take his people home. Evanjalin is able to walk in other people's dreams, and she insists that Balthazar, heir to the throne, is alive and will breach the barrier, once Finnikin leads the refugees back to Lumatere. Along the way Finnikin is reunited with his father who has been imprisoned for a decade. He agrees to reassemble the royal guards to aid in the quest.
Although Evanjalin frequently aggravates Finnikin, he is also strangely drawn to her and becomes more and more worried about her safety. She tells him that their destinies are intertwined and that he will become king through the flow of her blood. He assumes this means her death and is bound and determined to avoid this eventuality.
Filled with mysticism and violent battles, the story is an allegory about the atrocities of war; especially violence toward women. Marchetta creates a believable fantasy world and characters that we care about deeply. The violence and allusions to sexual situations make this a novel for the more mature reader.
The story begins ten years after assassins attack the kingdom of Lumatere and murder the royal family. A curse now creates a magical barrier around the kingdom to prevent those who fled from ever returning. Finnikin, exiled son of a former royal guard, is serving as an apprentice to Sir Topher, the murdered king’s First Man. While wandering in neighboring kingdoms and aiding refugees, they receive a message that leads them to Evanjalin, a novice who says Finnikin has been chosen to take his people home. Evanjalin is able to walk in other people's dreams, and she insists that Balthazar, heir to the throne, is alive and will breach the barrier, once Finnikin leads the refugees back to Lumatere. Along the way Finnikin is reunited with his father who has been imprisoned for a decade. He agrees to reassemble the royal guards to aid in the quest.
Although Evanjalin frequently aggravates Finnikin, he is also strangely drawn to her and becomes more and more worried about her safety. She tells him that their destinies are intertwined and that he will become king through the flow of her blood. He assumes this means her death and is bound and determined to avoid this eventuality.
Filled with mysticism and violent battles, the story is an allegory about the atrocities of war; especially violence toward women. Marchetta creates a believable fantasy world and characters that we care about deeply. The violence and allusions to sexual situations make this a novel for the more mature reader.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Gone
I was gone for five days last week visiting my sister and her husband in Port Aransas, Texas. They recently retired from their jobs in Austin and moved to the beach. He is now the chief of police in Port Aransas and they just moved into their fabulous new beach house. While there, I consumed mass quantities of seafood, helped them with their house warming party, and read Gone, the final book in Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy.
For those of you not familiar with the Wake trilogy, it is a really unique paranormal series about Janie Hannagan, a girl who is a dream catcher. The first book, Wake, introduces Janie who has been inexplicably pulled into other people's dreams since she was eight years old. Through a patient at the Heather Nursing Home where she works, Janie finds out she has the ability to help people resolve their nightmares. Exhausted by being constantly pulled into the dreams of fellow students who are napping at school, Janie seeks to find a way to control the dreaming. She gets involved with Cabel, a former bad-boy who has hellish nightmares, and Janie realizes her ability may be a blessing and not just a curse.
In the second book, Fade, Janie is now working undercover for the police, using her abilities to help them solve crimes. Janie and Cabel are investigating teachers suspected of drugging and abusing students at class parties. Janie sets herself up as bait, and her relationship with Cabel is strained as he feels unable to protect her. The physical toll her dream catching will ultimately exact is also revealed, and Janie is faced with deciding how much she is willing to sacrifice in order to continue her undercover work for the police.
In the final book, Gone, Janie discovers her long lost father is also a dream catcher. When she meets him for the first time, he is in a coma in the hospital. As Janie is pulled into his hellish nightmares, she realizes that he chose a life of isolation, rather than face the debilitating side effects of using his abilities. However, if she makes the same choice, it means abandoning her undercover work and, more importantly, Cabel, whom she loves more than life itself.
Lisa McMann, in a note to readers, admits that she procrastinated in writing the last book of the trilogy, because she didn't want it all to end. When she finally finished the first draft of the book, she sent it off to her editor, thinking all it need was some "polishing." Her editor sent it back with notes telling her it wasn't strong enough. Lisa realized she had been holding back and Gone needed to be completely rewritten. With only three weeks before she went on a book tour to support Fade, she found a theme song for Janie, Dido's "Here with Me," and listened to it over and over until she had the courage to begin again. I was fascinated by the Morton's Fork (a situation involving choice between two equally undesireable outcomes) concept, which Lisa used to characterize Janie's dilemma. The result is a very satisfying resolution to a terrific series.
For those of you not familiar with the Wake trilogy, it is a really unique paranormal series about Janie Hannagan, a girl who is a dream catcher. The first book, Wake, introduces Janie who has been inexplicably pulled into other people's dreams since she was eight years old. Through a patient at the Heather Nursing Home where she works, Janie finds out she has the ability to help people resolve their nightmares. Exhausted by being constantly pulled into the dreams of fellow students who are napping at school, Janie seeks to find a way to control the dreaming. She gets involved with Cabel, a former bad-boy who has hellish nightmares, and Janie realizes her ability may be a blessing and not just a curse.
In the second book, Fade, Janie is now working undercover for the police, using her abilities to help them solve crimes. Janie and Cabel are investigating teachers suspected of drugging and abusing students at class parties. Janie sets herself up as bait, and her relationship with Cabel is strained as he feels unable to protect her. The physical toll her dream catching will ultimately exact is also revealed, and Janie is faced with deciding how much she is willing to sacrifice in order to continue her undercover work for the police.
In the final book, Gone, Janie discovers her long lost father is also a dream catcher. When she meets him for the first time, he is in a coma in the hospital. As Janie is pulled into his hellish nightmares, she realizes that he chose a life of isolation, rather than face the debilitating side effects of using his abilities. However, if she makes the same choice, it means abandoning her undercover work and, more importantly, Cabel, whom she loves more than life itself.
Lisa McMann, in a note to readers, admits that she procrastinated in writing the last book of the trilogy, because she didn't want it all to end. When she finally finished the first draft of the book, she sent it off to her editor, thinking all it need was some "polishing." Her editor sent it back with notes telling her it wasn't strong enough. Lisa realized she had been holding back and Gone needed to be completely rewritten. With only three weeks before she went on a book tour to support Fade, she found a theme song for Janie, Dido's "Here with Me," and listened to it over and over until she had the courage to begin again. I was fascinated by the Morton's Fork (a situation involving choice between two equally undesireable outcomes) concept, which Lisa used to characterize Janie's dilemma. The result is a very satisfying resolution to a terrific series.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Coffeehouse Angel
For Mother's Day my guys granted my heart's desire and took me to a chick flick, Letters to Juliet, and out to dinner. Letters to Juliet takes place in Verona, Italy, where Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) travels with her fiance (Gael Garcia Bernal), for a prewedding honeymoon. When he gets consumed with plans for his new restaurant and neglects her, Sophie gets involved with the secretaries of Juliet, who respond to letters to Juliet seeking romantic advice. It reminded me of a couple YA books I read in 2008, The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper, which is about an American girl who goes to a summer program in Verona and as a class assignment answers letters to Juliet, and Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors, where a girl travels back in time to Verona and tries to save Juliet from her fate.
Suzanne Selfors' latest book Coffeehouse Angel is one of my favorite chick lit books that I've read recently. This book taps into the latest trend of stories involving angels. 16-year-old Katrina Svenson leaves coffee and a Danish for a vagrant, who is sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, and later finds out he's an angel who is a messenger from heaven. For her kindness he must grant her heart's desire. But what does she want-love, fortune or fame? While Katrina is busy trying to decide, her grandmother's coffee shop is failing, her best guy friend is dating her nemesis, and her cat becomes famous for killing a giant rat in the coffeehouse. To complicate matters, she is falling for the angel and would like for him to stick around. Details of Scandanavian culture lace this supernatural romance and make it an engaging read for anyone looking for a bit of escape.
Suzanne Selfors' latest book Coffeehouse Angel is one of my favorite chick lit books that I've read recently. This book taps into the latest trend of stories involving angels. 16-year-old Katrina Svenson leaves coffee and a Danish for a vagrant, who is sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, and later finds out he's an angel who is a messenger from heaven. For her kindness he must grant her heart's desire. But what does she want-love, fortune or fame? While Katrina is busy trying to decide, her grandmother's coffee shop is failing, her best guy friend is dating her nemesis, and her cat becomes famous for killing a giant rat in the coffeehouse. To complicate matters, she is falling for the angel and would like for him to stick around. Details of Scandanavian culture lace this supernatural romance and make it an engaging read for anyone looking for a bit of escape.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Heist Society
Having been mesmerized by Aaron Johnson's performance as the young John Lennon in Nowhere Boy at Sundance, I couldn't resist going to see his latest film Kickass. It was great fun; more exciting than a bike ride in Bali. Although Aaron was great in the title role, Chloe Mertz totally stole the film with her performance as Hit Girl. Seeing her in her plaid skirt uniform reminded me of the covers of the Gallagher Girls series. (I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy.) The fourth in the series, Only the Good Spy Young, will be released June 29th. If you haven't had a chance to read them, they are about a private high school for girls who are spies. A film of the first book is in development.
While you are waiting for the fourth installment, I would recommend Ally's new series, Heist Society. After a childhood spent in the family business stealing jewels, Katarina Bishop decides to retire and cons her way into an exclusive boarding school, leaving her life of crime behind. However, when Hale, her former colleague and crush, shows up with the news that her father's life is in danger, she is lured back into the fold. A powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and her father is the number one suspect. Together with her crew of teenage thieves, Kat must find the art collection and return it, before her father is killed. They travel across Europe and plot the biggest heist in the family's history. The details of thieving tools and techniques, famous artworks, and lavish settings make this a highly informative and entertaining read. I can't wait for the sequel!
While you are waiting for the fourth installment, I would recommend Ally's new series, Heist Society. After a childhood spent in the family business stealing jewels, Katarina Bishop decides to retire and cons her way into an exclusive boarding school, leaving her life of crime behind. However, when Hale, her former colleague and crush, shows up with the news that her father's life is in danger, she is lured back into the fold. A powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and her father is the number one suspect. Together with her crew of teenage thieves, Kat must find the art collection and return it, before her father is killed. They travel across Europe and plot the biggest heist in the family's history. The details of thieving tools and techniques, famous artworks, and lavish settings make this a highly informative and entertaining read. I can't wait for the sequel!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Back from Bali - We Were Here
I am back from my Backroads biking trip in Bali, where it was hot, hot hot! I now refer to the experience as Bikram biking. The accomodations and cultural experiences were wonderful, the biking was not. There are three million people in Bali; two million of them are on motorbikes, the other million are driving big trucks and playing chicken with them on the roads where we were biking.
During the four plane flights to get there, I read Matt de la Pena's We Were Here. Having met Matt at the Colorado teen lit conference, I was looking forward to reading his latest book and it did not disappoint. Matt charmed me with his sincerity and earnest passion for YA lit. We talked about stories with a soundtrack and he told me one of his favorite musicians was Elliott Smith, who did the music for Good Will Hunting. He was particularly impacted by Smith's suicide- he is thought to have stabbed himself in the heart. After reading the book, I now better understand Matt's fascination with Smith and his comment that good writers lie, cheat and steal.
Matt was born in the barrio in San Diego to teenage parents (17 and 15) and basketball was his ticket out. Although We Were Here is not a sports story, basketball did play a role. The book is supposedly a court ordered journal that Miguel Castenada is required to write while in a group home in San Jose. Fed up with the group home environment, Miguel and two other inmates, Mong and Rondell, break out and attempt to flee to Mexico. Miguel continues to chronicle their adventures in the journal, slowly revealing the stories leading to each boy's incarceration and the tragic event that changed Miguel's life forever. The suspenseful pacing will keep readers anxiously turning pages to find out about the boys' survival, as well as the mystery of Miguel's crime.
During the four plane flights to get there, I read Matt de la Pena's We Were Here. Having met Matt at the Colorado teen lit conference, I was looking forward to reading his latest book and it did not disappoint. Matt charmed me with his sincerity and earnest passion for YA lit. We talked about stories with a soundtrack and he told me one of his favorite musicians was Elliott Smith, who did the music for Good Will Hunting. He was particularly impacted by Smith's suicide- he is thought to have stabbed himself in the heart. After reading the book, I now better understand Matt's fascination with Smith and his comment that good writers lie, cheat and steal.
Matt was born in the barrio in San Diego to teenage parents (17 and 15) and basketball was his ticket out. Although We Were Here is not a sports story, basketball did play a role. The book is supposedly a court ordered journal that Miguel Castenada is required to write while in a group home in San Jose. Fed up with the group home environment, Miguel and two other inmates, Mong and Rondell, break out and attempt to flee to Mexico. Miguel continues to chronicle their adventures in the journal, slowly revealing the stories leading to each boy's incarceration and the tragic event that changed Miguel's life forever. The suspenseful pacing will keep readers anxiously turning pages to find out about the boys' survival, as well as the mystery of Miguel's crime.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Colorado Teen Literature Conference - Tricks
The highlight of the Colorado Teen Lit Conference for me was hearing from Matt de la Pena, author of Mexican Whiteboy, and Ellen Hopkins, author of numerous novels in verse. On Friday evening I was fortunate to be invited to a dinner where I met both authors. On Saturday each author gave a keynote speech. I have always wondered what led Ellen Hopkins to the dark topics she addresses. She shared the anguish she experienced when her beloved daughter got involved with meth and ultimately ended up in jail. She said her first novel in verse, Crank, was her way of working through the turmoil she felt. She received such a positive response to the novel that she knew she had found her niche. Her latest book, Tricks, chronicles the lives of kids driven to prostitution. The story is narrated by five teens whose lives finally converge in Las Vegas. Seth, an Indiana farm boy, is kicked off his family farm when his parents find out he's gay. He follows a controlling sugar daddy to Las Vegas. In Boise, Eden's first romantic relationship leads her Pentecostal parents to declare that she is possessed by demons. They send her to Tears of Zion reform camp, where ironically she turns to prostituting herself to engineer an escape. In California Whitney, who yearns for male attention any way she can get it, ends up involved with a pimp who takes her to Las Vegas. Ginger, realizes that the rapes she's endured as a child, were arranged by her mother in exchange for cash. They all end up in Las Vegas where Cody, who has a gambling addiction he pays for with money he's earned selling his body, is attempting to deal with his grief when his stepfather dies. Hopkins does a wonderful job helping the reader understand the desperation that leads the teens to prostitution, as well as how difficult it is to extricate themselves once they've traveled down that road.
I'm off to Bali tomorrow. I have Matt de la Pena's latest novel, We Were Here, on my Kindle and plan to read it on the trip. I will share my thoughts about it with you soon.
I'm off to Bali tomorrow. I have Matt de la Pena's latest novel, We Were Here, on my Kindle and plan to read it on the trip. I will share my thoughts about it with you soon.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Colorado Teen Literature Conference - Tangled
Tomorrow I am presenting at the Colorado Teen Literature conference, which is my favorite conference of the year. I am going to talk about new book bundles, which are YA novels that are grouped thematically. In addition to talking about 25 new books, I will also suggest classroom activities for each bundle. One of the bundles involves books that have multiple narrators. Caroline Mackler's Tangled is one of the books in this group. Told from the points of view of four different teens, the story chronicles the time they spend together at a Caribbean resort, as well as the four months that follow. The story is narrated in a linear fashion, beginning with Jena's story. She is a hypercritical girl, who is her own worst critic. She accompanies her mom and her mom's best friend and daughter Skye to the resort. Skye is a gorgeous young actress who doesn't seem to want to give Jena the time of day. Little does Jena know, that Skye, who narrates the next section, is struggling with emotional problems. They both meet Dakota, a boy who seems confident and sexually aggressive. He initially spends time with Jena, but dumps her when he meets Skye. He narrates the third section which takes place when he returns home. Finally, we hear from Owen, Dakota's introverted brother, who spends most of his time working on his blog "Loser with a Laptop." Jena begins following his blog and they ultimately meet in NYC. As the story progresses through the vacation, and its aftermath, the reader begins to realize that the facade these kids present to the world hides a very different person on the inside. I loved these characters and think kids will really connect with their insecurities.
Although I'm really looking forward to my presentation, I am most excited about the two visiting authors, Matt de la Pena, the author of Mexican Whiteboy, and Ellen Hopkins, the popular author, who writes cutting edge novels-in-verse. I am also profiling her latest novel, Tricks, in my novels-in-verse bundle. In my next blog I will let you know about the conference and meeting these two authors.
Although I'm really looking forward to my presentation, I am most excited about the two visiting authors, Matt de la Pena, the author of Mexican Whiteboy, and Ellen Hopkins, the popular author, who writes cutting edge novels-in-verse. I am also profiling her latest novel, Tricks, in my novels-in-verse bundle. In my next blog I will let you know about the conference and meeting these two authors.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Flash Burnout
I just got back from Berkeley, CA, where I visited Amoeba Music on Telegraph Avenue. I was delighted to be able to envision Allie (The Vinyl Princess) behind the counter talking up vinyl records with customers. The vinyl record library there is phenomenal.
My latest recommendation is Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan about Blake, a boy who struggles to balance his relationships with Shannon, his girlfirend, and Marissa, a fellow photographer who is a friend who is a girl. Although the story involves more about photography and struggling with a parent's addiction than music, I couldn't resist mentioning it in my soundtrack unit because the end of the book includes two broken heart playlists with Blake's commentary. One is a mad/sad playlist and the other is a sad/sad playlist including songs like "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down that he characterizes as an "I haven't moved on" song and Hemorrhage by Fuel of which he says, "Anytime you mention blood and love in the same sentence, it's not going to have a happy ending." Another terrific element of the book is his "pleas to Houston" (as in Houston we have a problem) for relationship advice. I would highly recommend spending some time with Blake and his problems.
My latest recommendation is Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan about Blake, a boy who struggles to balance his relationships with Shannon, his girlfirend, and Marissa, a fellow photographer who is a friend who is a girl. Although the story involves more about photography and struggling with a parent's addiction than music, I couldn't resist mentioning it in my soundtrack unit because the end of the book includes two broken heart playlists with Blake's commentary. One is a mad/sad playlist and the other is a sad/sad playlist including songs like "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down that he characterizes as an "I haven't moved on" song and Hemorrhage by Fuel of which he says, "Anytime you mention blood and love in the same sentence, it's not going to have a happy ending." Another terrific element of the book is his "pleas to Houston" (as in Houston we have a problem) for relationship advice. I would highly recommend spending some time with Blake and his problems.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Struts and Frets
The playlist at the end of John Skovron's Struts and Frets, which identifies the songs in the book, includes an eclectic variety of music from the Pixies to John Coltrane. All are referenced by Sammy Bojar, the main character, who defines himself through his music. Sammy's grandfather, a jazz musician whose mind is clouded by dementia, encourages him to follow his dream of becoming a rock star. However, his mother, who watched her own mother die of a drug overdose, urges him to pursue a more stable lifestyle.
When Sammy's band decides to compete in a battle of the bands, Sammy waffles between excitement at winning a chance to record in a studio and dread of the band imploding in public. The lead singer can't remember the lyrics, the bassist is not ready for prime time and Sammy has a serious case of stage fright.
Added to his anxieties about the band, Sammy worries about his relationship with his art obsessed best friend Jen5 (there are 5 other Jennifers in their class), who wants to take their relationship to the next level. As they explore romance, she agrees to help him be more of a "kick-ass combat ninja" and he encourages her to show her vulnerable side. At her urging, he agrees to perform solo at her first art show, and totally loses himself in performing a song he wrote for her. The battle of the bands doesn't turn out quite the way he had hoped, but it definitely is a turning point in his music career. This fresh coming-of-age story not only includes recognizable music, but also Sammy's orginal songs and an inside look at what it's like to write and perform them. It's a great read that will appeal to a wide audience.
When Sammy's band decides to compete in a battle of the bands, Sammy waffles between excitement at winning a chance to record in a studio and dread of the band imploding in public. The lead singer can't remember the lyrics, the bassist is not ready for prime time and Sammy has a serious case of stage fright.
Added to his anxieties about the band, Sammy worries about his relationship with his art obsessed best friend Jen5 (there are 5 other Jennifers in their class), who wants to take their relationship to the next level. As they explore romance, she agrees to help him be more of a "kick-ass combat ninja" and he encourages her to show her vulnerable side. At her urging, he agrees to perform solo at her first art show, and totally loses himself in performing a song he wrote for her. The battle of the bands doesn't turn out quite the way he had hoped, but it definitely is a turning point in his music career. This fresh coming-of-age story not only includes recognizable music, but also Sammy's orginal songs and an inside look at what it's like to write and perform them. It's a great read that will appeal to a wide audience.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Speaking of Soundtracks
Speaking of soundtracks, I have been enjoying the playlist Maggie Stiefvater created for her book Shiver. It is very Twilightesque. If you have not read Shiver yet, I would highly recommend it. The first book of a trilogy introduces Grace who for years has been fascinated by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she was attacked as a child. Sam, who was bitten by a werewolf as a boy, is that wolf. He spends the summer months as a human and the cold months of the year as a wolf. When they finally meet, they fall deeply in love, but their romance is threatened by many challenges, including the fact that Sam may soon lose the ability to become human. The author's take on werewolves is interesting and original, and Sam and Grace cleverly handle the ordeals they face. I can wait for Linger, the sequel which is due out July 10, 2010.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Welcome
Welcome to my blog spot! I am looking forward to blogging about new young adult novels. I have written a book, What's New in Young Adult Novels? and Ideas for Classroom Use and am continually reading new YA novels in hopes of finding gems to add to my next revision. The 2009 book is available on Lulu.com.
One of the units in my book is entitled Stories with a Soundtrack. I am always looking for new books that will lend themselves to exploration of the music referenced in them. Last year's Audrey Wait! was really popular with teens and I had a ball listening to all the songs that Robin Benway used in her chapter titles. The songs that book characters listen to really define them as individuals and help the readers get a clearer picture of the characters.
Yesterday I read The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Printz. I absolutely loved it! Allie, the main character, works at Bob and Bob's Records, a vinyl record store in Berkeley, CA. My oldest son just started business school at Berkeley, and having helped him move there this summer, I am somewhat familiar with the setting. I envisioned Bob and Bob's Records on Telegraph Avenue and all the hippies that populate the area. The music that permeates the story is classic and I began making a playlist in my head as I read about Allie's adventures.
If you have any thoughts on either of these books or have books to recommend, I'd love to hear from you.
One of the units in my book is entitled Stories with a Soundtrack. I am always looking for new books that will lend themselves to exploration of the music referenced in them. Last year's Audrey Wait! was really popular with teens and I had a ball listening to all the songs that Robin Benway used in her chapter titles. The songs that book characters listen to really define them as individuals and help the readers get a clearer picture of the characters.
Yesterday I read The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Printz. I absolutely loved it! Allie, the main character, works at Bob and Bob's Records, a vinyl record store in Berkeley, CA. My oldest son just started business school at Berkeley, and having helped him move there this summer, I am somewhat familiar with the setting. I envisioned Bob and Bob's Records on Telegraph Avenue and all the hippies that populate the area. The music that permeates the story is classic and I began making a playlist in my head as I read about Allie's adventures.
If you have any thoughts on either of these books or have books to recommend, I'd love to hear from you.
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